This review paper is intended to provide, the mineral process engineer with an introduction to the concepts, terminology and practice of mineral process control. It also provides an extensive sampling of the vast body of literature relevant to this topic. The topics discussed include the principles of automatic control, instrumentation, mineral processing unit operations, process modeling and simulation, and process and plant control.

This paper examines the increasing need for mechanical-electrical people within the industry and some of the reasons why such a shortfall exists. It is suggested that, in part, it is image related. The present industry-education relationship in addressing the situation is examined and some thoughts are expressed on how these may be built on, in order to help solve the problem of attracting people to this critical area.

First down and four to go. In the game of football, this is not a bad position to be in. However, in this game of political football, it means that there is still a long way to go. The government in Ottawa has concluded an important agreement with one producing province, and now has at least four more provinces to deal with&mdash;B.C., Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.On September 1, 1981, the federal and Alberta governments took a significant step forward in formulating an oil and...

The base metal mine at Buchans, Newfoundland, has been producing since 1928. For many years, mill tailings were disposed of by dumping into a nearby natural watercourse via which they were transported to Red Indian Lake and deposited. In 1965, environmental concerns prompted the establishment of settling ponds near the mine site. Effluents fed to these ponds included slimes washed from mine backfill sand and waste water pumped from underground as well as mill tailings. Dusting around the...

The determination of surface tensions and contact angles of coal particles is of great interest for coal beneficiation processes such as froth flotation and oil agglomeration and for the inclusion of coal particles into oil droplets as a means of enriching the fuel.Methods for contact-angle measurements on small irregularly shaped solid particles have not been available in the past. Therefore, we recently developed a novel technique to determine contact angles and surf ace tensions of coal...

Nuclear energy is an established and proven energy source. Today, CANDU-PHW nuclear-electric generating stations produce over one third of Ontario's total electrical supply: safely and economically. In many parts of Canada, where economic hydro resources do not exist or are fully developed, coal and nuclear energy are the only alternatives for future large-scale electrical generating capacity.Recent analyses have suggested that, in the face of increasing energy demands and decreasing reserves...

Les Services TMG (Niobec) currently treat a niobium ore in the Chicoutimi area of Quebec. The mineral pyrochlore is present in a carbonatite deposit which assays 5% to 7% apatite.The ore is ground to minus 65 mesh and deslimed at 10 micrometres. Part of the carbonates are floated with a fatty acid emulsion and rejected to the tailings as a first step to ensure the proper conditions for the flotation of the pyrochlore concentrate. The carbonate concentrate is 65% minus 44 micrometres and is...

In the past two to three years, all continuous mining machines at the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Mining Limited, Lanigan Division, have been changed over to a new cutting pattern using 1-inch- and 1-3/16-inch-diameter self-sharpening pencil bits. The bits are arranged in a cone-type pattern across the face on 2'A-inch and 3-inch spacing. The result is that the ore is removed by chipping and flaking. Previously, rap-lock bits were used, with the pattern being several bits in single...

Carbonate-rich rocks occur at several localities within the Flin Flon volcanic sequence of the eastern Amisk Lake area. The rocks occur in two areas: as a group of small occurrences on islands within Amisk Lake and as two much larger linear belts running parallel to the regional structure east of Amisk Lake. Mineralogically, the rocks consist of talc and Ca-poor ankerite with occasional graphite. Segregation of these minerals and colour variation impart a well-defined planar fabric to the...